Chat With John Hawkins Of War Plan Pacific Fame!
Developer Chat Scheduled For January 27th!

Hampstead, NC, 21 January 2009

Brush text with greatness! Shrapnel Games, publisher of the critically acclaimed naval wargame, War Plan Pacific, is hosting a chat with John Hawkins of KE Studios on January 27th at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST. John is the lead developer and designer of War Plan Pacific, so it will be a great time to ask him questions like, "Why can't we firebomb the Japanese mainland with incendiary bats?" Yes, the US actually did toy around with explosive flying mammals but realized that since you can't really train bats there's no guarantee they'd end up where you'd want them.

The chat will be held on the Shrapnel Games forums (located at http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/). You'll find "Chat" on the top bar of the forum, third entry from the left. In order to participate (even to observe) you will have to register, which is the first entry on the top bar of the forum. Registration is quick and painless and only takes a minute or two.

War Plan Pacific is the first title from KE Studios and though only released in mid-December has already earned plenty of early praise. James Allen (Out of Eight reviews) finds that the game "...is easy to manage, with great unit organization and simple mission assignment. The multiple victory conditions are fantastic... War Plan Pacific is a great way to taste strategy gaming..." Steve Butts (IGN) thinks that "...War Plan Pacific is a welcome addition to the wargame catalog that makes good decisions in terms of sacrificing details and streamlining gameplay." Troy Goodfellow (Flash of Steel) has War Plan Pacific sharing one-half of his Wargame of the Year award.

Let's not forget about the fans! On the forums Alejes02 says: "This game is a gem; a fascinating, accessible simulation of the Great Pacific War and I thank the designer for his efforts. I'm about to boot up my 12th game, and may I say, I'm having a blast!" MarkL is loving it. "This is one that will remain on my HD for a long while." panzerkiller thinks, "This game will do what Panzer General has done to the wargaming community." Mouse gives it a thumbs up. "I really think WPP is one of the most elegant systems I've ever seen in a wargame." gdrover really enjoys the combat: "The combat sequences are truly awesome, and the heart of the game. It's an edge of the seat experience every time (even when you're way ahead, as you don't want your air crews to suffer losses.)"

War Plan Pacific is a fast playing beer and pretzels computer wargame for Windows on the conflict in the Pacific during the Second World War. Inspired by the classic Avalon Hill board game, Victory in the Pacific (and in general having a very digital board game feel), War Plan Pacific streamlines the gigantic struggle into something playable in a single session without losing the historical qualities wargamers expect.

Players command a grand strategic historical order of battle using air and naval groups (land combat is abstracted; the war in China is also not gamed). Movement is point-to-point between twenty-nine strategically important bases, with turns representing one month of real time. Victory conditions vary for each side, allowing gamers to experience the war from two different perspectives. What strategies work for the Japanese player will not work for the Allied player, and vice-versa.

Multiplayer is supported, and with a game only taking a few hours to play, means that War Plan Pacific is a computer wargame that you'll actually have a chance to finish against a live opponent. Put your computer in your dining room when playing and it will almost be like the glory days of your tabletop years!

War Plan Pacific also supports modding, with the ability for players to mod scenarios with a simple text editor. All scenario files are .XML files, easy enough to tweak. Total conversions are not possible, so enterprising players cannot change it from the Pacific to Atlantic.

More information on the game and a limited demo is available at the official product page for War Plan Pacific.

War Plan Pacific is obtainable either as a physical product, shipped to your door in a DVD case, or as a direct download. Both versions are $39.95 and are only available for Windows.

Remember, January 27th, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST! Keep the date open and give a shout out to John!

Please visit www.shrapnelgames.com to view our complete catalog of award winning independent games. Since 1999 Shrapnel Games has been delivering the very best in strategy gaming, along with awesome niche titles you won't find anyplace else. Recent releases include War Plan Pacific and BRAINPIPE, currently nominated for an Excellence in Audio by the IGF.